Lean On Me
by randomlass
Summary: Prequel to Hope. She fights to keep her family alive, but she doesn't take care of herself, he wants to change that. Slight LeoOC
1. Chapter 1

Here's the Prequel to Hope, I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, but I do own my OCs

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**Chapter 1:**

_My name is Layla, and I'm seventeen._

She began to note so formally, she may have not gone to school, but her half brother that was only seven years younger than she was teaching her.

_I live with eight half brothers and sisters._

She looked at the youngest…only a few weeks old. She had finally gotten her to sleep by going to the neighbors to get some powdered milk.

_I fight to keep them alive._

She sighed when she heard her stomach growl.

_Which means I don't eat much._

She looked at the conditions of the apartment. Only one couch, a television, a run down kitchen, and the only bed was her mothers and step father. Filthy…there was a bathroom, so they did keep up their hygiene.

_My mother a Purple Dragon, my Step Father the man who killed my father...my mother doesn't know this._

She brought the pen to her mouth, and thought for a few seconds.

_I need to get out of here._

She nodded a bit, before adding the last word.

_Now…_

"Layla?" she looked at the second youngest, he was only three.

"Yes Steven?" she asked. He had a huge coughing fit.

"Why were you writing that?" he asked, pointing at the note.

She bit her lip, "I'm going away."

"But who's going to take care of us?" he whimpered. He had another nasty coughing fit.

"Nanny will," she smiled, crouching down to look at him eye to eye.

"That really nice lady that lives next dowh?" he tilted his head.

"Yes," she forced a smile, "now get some sleep so you can get over that cough."

"Kay," he smiled, curling up on the couch.

She stood up and walked out of the apartment, she took a good look at each and every one of her half brothers and sisters. She sighed and closed the door behind her.

"Layla, why up so late?" an old woman asked.

"I'm just going to the roof to get some fresh air," she answered, "don't worry Nanny."

The old woman smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown, "You should really be eating. Why are you so unhappy with yourself?"

"_How can I tell her without her calling the police?"_

**-Flashback-**

She was only seven, she held onto her mother's leg, and looked up at her bulging stomach.

"So this is the place?" her mother asked.

"Yes Janice, everything you always wanted," her Step Father said, moving his arm with the Purple Dragon tattoo as if he was trying to scan the room. She looked at her mother's arm, clad with the insignia as well.

"Sunny this is the best place, the cops won't catch us here," her mother said. The man smiled, and then looked at her.

She had been scared of him since he told about her father's killer.

"You wouldn't tell anyone, would ya?" he asked her.

"No," she whimpered. Her Step Father would lock her in a dark room, and she didn't like the dark and being in a tight space.

She was fine with them both separated, but together…it was a living nightmare.

**-End Flashback-**

"I've been trying," she whispered finally.

"Well…sweetie, I hope you get better," the old woman smiled, and reentered her apartment.

She made her way to the stairs to get to the roof. It took a long agonizing thirty minutes, due to her having no meat on her bones, and she hadn't eaten anything since the day before. When she finally reached the top of the second set of stairs she fell on her knees, and held the note to her chest.

Taking a deep breathe, she stood up and took another thirty minutes to reach the top. She finally reached the door to the roof. Reaching for the door knob, she slowly opened the door, her golden eyes scanning for any other person on the roof top. She sighed seeing no one was there.

She didn't notice someone staring at her at the rooftop across from hers at the right.

Walking to the right side of the roof, she set the note down beside her. She took the last bit of her strength and stood up on the edge.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She leaned forward, and felt the air rushing past her, her eyes shut, but not tightly.

Her eyes snapped open when she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her, and she nearly screamed for whoever it was to let her go.

She was on the fire escape before she had a chance to.

"Are you crazy?"

She lost the last bit of her strength, and her knees buckled, only to have whoever was holding her in her arms support the little weight she had.

"It took me an hour to get there, and then you just catch me," she whispered her eyes closed, "the only use I am is just to keep eight half siblings alive, with no education, no job, and my mom and step dad are never home…why couldn't you just let me die?"

She was too weak to cry, too weak to raise her voice, too weak to move. She was basically the rag doll her third youngest sister always carried around with her.

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Leonardo glared at the apartment complex. 

Hun's right hand man would probably be there, that's what Casey had told them. He had been there a little over an hour, just seeing if any Purple Dragons entered or exited the complex.

It was old, and run down.

The only movement that he had seen was an old woman going for a walk.

In the corner of his eye, he saw movement on the rooftop, and he looked straight up. He couldn't help but be disgusted. Another anorexic trying to make herself look skinny, he couldn't stand that what some girls would go through just to look pretty.

He couldn't help but become suspicious as she set something on the edge of the roof, he glanced down to see where she was aiming to fall; he couldn't help but clench his jaw.

She was going to commit suicide.

He watched as she leaned forward, and he took action. Jumping he reached out and grabbed her, and grabbed one of the rails to the rusty fire escape and jumped on it.

"Are you crazy?" he demanded.

He couldn't help but panic when she collapsed.

She was no ordinary anorexic by far.

"It took me an hour to get there, and then you just catch me," she whispered, he noticed she was looking down, "the only use I am is just to keep eight half siblings alive, with no education, no job, and my mom and step dad are never home…why couldn't you just let me die?"

She was trying to escape…

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_**PLEASE R&R!**_

I hope you guys liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT, but I do own my OCs

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**Chapter 2:**

She couldn't help but tremble when she looked up in his stern eyes. That's all that frightened her. Eyes that reminded her of her haunting past, before this nightmare, she was living in another one.

She was nearly beaten to death by her biological father when she was three. Her mother took action and took her to the hospital.

For the first seven years of her life, it was the only time her mother really cared.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

Leonardo was surprised, his eyes widening.

"I won't do it again, I promise," she whispered. The only part of her body she had enough strength to move was her head.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

"Bottom floor, third room across the hallway to the left," she whispered.

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Steven sat there, he faked falling asleep, hoping and praying that Layla would come home.

His eyes widened when he heard somebody knock on the door.

"Marco?" he whispered.

"Star could you get it?" the older boy groaned. A girl with a rag doll sat up from the floor, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and slowly stood up and walked to the door. She took a hold of the knob and slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" she yawned. Her eyes widened seeing Layla in the arms of a giant turtle.

She was more concerned about her motherly figure.

"Layla," she whispered, allowing him to enter. Steven perked up, but then suddenly began to cough. He looked at Layla.

She was so frail looking; he couldn't help but want to cry.

"What happened to her?" Star asked.

Leonardo looked at the little girl, her arms held to the doll in her arms tightly, and she had fear in her eyes as she stared at her big sister.

"Do you have any food?" he asked.

"No…she gets it from Nanny, who lives next door, she only eats a little because she said that we need it more than she does," she answered, "Mommy and Daddy sell it all for this stuff that makes them happy all the time. But I don't like the markings on their arms…they scare me."

Leo blinked looking at her, he didn't expect this much information, "What do the markings look like?"

"They look like purple snakes," Star looked at him, her blue eyes glazed with tears, "Mommy says that it's because of Daddy that she has one, and she wanted it because of Daddy."

"_Casey was right,"_ Leo thought. He looked at the thin young woman; he couldn't help but be alarmed as she tried to fight sleep.

"Do you want me to get some food for her?" Star asked, "We've been trying to make her eat, but she doesn't eat as much as we do."

Leo nodded, "If your neighbor doesn't mind." Star nodded and rushed out the door.

Leo looked at the rest of the room. Seven other children were on the floor, all varying from a few weeks old, to ten years old. He looked at a little girl who had wrapped her self around the baby just to keep her warm.

"What's your name?" he looked down at Steven. He could tell that Steven was very sick.

"Leonardo, and you?" he asked.

"Steven," he smiled at him, and ruffled his shaggy black hair.

He looked to see the girl had returned; in her arms were bags of food.

"Nanny said this is all for Layla," she whispered. He nodded reaching for one of the bags.

They were full of bread, peanut butter, and canned goods. He looked in another bag to see silverware, water bottles, and plates.

"Please…I don't…" Layla looked at the little girl, using every ounce of her strength.

"No…Nanny says you have to eat it," Star shook her head.

"Leonardo?" he looked at Steven, "Could you try to make Layla eat?"

He glanced at the girl he rescued.

"Your name is Leonardo?" she asked. His eyes had softened greatly, and he nodded a bit. He pulled out a can, and he read the label. Deviled ham.

Steven sat on the floor, his blue eyes watching as Leo tore of the paper on the can, and lifted the tab.

"My name's Star," Star finally said, "and this is Lilly." She held onto her doll tightly, a smile forming on her face, her eyes twinkled.

Leo couldn't help but smile. They weren't treating him like he was a monster; it felt good for once to have someone not be afraid, just to be accepted.

"Star, what's going on?" a boy who looked about eight sat up. Comparing the two, Star looked about the age of six.

"That's my big brother Austin," Star pointed out, "and the two boys over there, are Marco, he's ten, and Justin, he's five. Steven is only three. Then, that's my twin sister, Kimi, and my baby sister Becca."

He looked at Steven who was holding out a spoon.

"Thanks Steven," he smiled. Steven returned it, and looked at Layla.

"I'll eat," Layla whispered. Steven smiled at her, which Layla returned full blown.

Leo couldn't describe her smile. It was so, friendly, loving, and beautiful all at the same time. He could feel his heart tighten a bit.

He shook his head, noticing that Star was reaching her small hands out for the spoon and can, her doll, Lilly, was resting on top of Layla's chest.

"Can I feed her?" she asked, tilting her head.

He smiled and nodded, handing her the spoon and deviled ham.

Star was careful, she looked at Layla. Her sister had days like this, where she would collapse. They would literally force food down her throat so she would gain strength.

If she was going to take care of them, then she should take care of herself, too. She smiled when her sister willing took a bite of the deviled ham.

It was one step forward, making her hope her sister wouldn't do this again.

Leo watched in silence, seeing Star's face brighten up.

He was going to keep an eye on them, especially Layla. He was hoping she wouldn't do this again.

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_**PLEASE R&R!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for the late update…**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT; all I own are my OCs

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**Chapter 3:**

"Mommy?" Kimi asked as the woman exited her bedroom. The woman ignored her and walked to the closet, and pulled out a key and opened it; she reached into a cooler and pulled out two beers, and then walked back to the only bedroom in the apartment, sealing the door, and locking it.

"Kimi, what is it?" Layla sat up the best she could. Her strength was slowly coming back due to the fact that Leonardo kept on checking on her, and then making her eat.

"I need help," she whispered, "I can't get this right." She held up a math book, and Layla sighed.

"I'm not very good with math," she stated truthfully. She looked at the numbers, and she still couldn't think.

Yes, she could read books that were in her grade level, even if she didn't go to school…but math was an entirely different story. She could only do money, and that was particularly frustrating.

"I can't help you…" she said.

Kimi's face fell, but she turned to Marco.

Layla smiled a bit, only to turn when the bedroom door opened, and her mother and step father stepped out of the room, fully clothed. Her mother sneered at her, before walking out the door.

She placed a hand on her heart, her expression broken.

"Layla," she looked at Steven, who was as pale as a clean white sheet, "I don't feel so good." Her face softened, and she touched his forehead, and she instantly pulled her hand back.

He was burning, and his breathing began to be labored.

"You're burning up," she whispered. She stood up, and bent down on her knobby knees to pull out a small brown bag, and she pulled out some children's medicine.

She poured a half a capful of the red liquid and she handed it to Steven. She was fighting to keep him alive.

Star watched as Steven struggled to breathe.

"Layla?" Star asked, "When is Leonardo coming back?"

Layla blinked, "I don't know if he's ever coming back."

"But he has to come back," Star whimpered. Layla blinked, watching as Star's eyes welled up with tears, and Lilly was being held tightly in her arms.

That's when the baby started to cry.

Layla stood up and picked up Rebecca.

"You can't be hungry again," she sighed.

There was a little knock on the door.

"Austin, could you get that?" Layla asked. Austin nodded, and stood up opening the door.

"May we help you?" he blinked.

"My name is Leonardo, I've come to check up on Layla," Star smiled brightly and ran up to the mutant turtle clad in a trench coat and fedora.

"It's been two days," she hugged his legs, tears formed in her eyes.

"Star," he glanced down at the six-year-old girl, and he smiled, "may I come in?"

Star blinked a bit, and let go of his legs, allowing him to enter.

Becca was still crying…and crying very loudly.

"Shh…" Layla whispered, "I'm here, we aren't going to leave you." She began to hum, which caused the small child to fall into a troubled sleep.

Layla tensed when Leo placed a hand on her shoulder, "Have you been eating?"

"She only ate a little bit," Star stated, tugging at his trench coat.

"Describe a little bit," Leo affirmed.

"She had only one can of deviled ham for both days," Star nodded.

"At least she ate something," he whispered, "Layla...can I talk to you in private."

Layla sighed, "Of coarse Leonardo."

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_**CLIFFY**_

_**PLEASE R&R!**_


End file.
